


The Shadow Prince and the Cuckoo Princess

by TheDarkRat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Amnesia, Barony of Ravenclaw, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Cinderella Elements, Duchy of Hufflepuff, Evil Dumbledore, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Typical Violence, Fire, Ginny Weasley Not Quite Bashing But Not a Positive Light, Good Slytherin, Hand-Wavey Magic Rules, Kingdom of Slytherin is basically noctural, Peter Pettrigrew Needs a Warning, Physical and Mental and Emotional Abuse, Sirius Black Dies, Swan Lake Elements, The House of Black is an Assassin School, The Kingdom of Gryffindor, The Kingdom of Slytherin, Werewolves Vampires and Hags are all Nocturnal, You Might Need to Learn about Cuckoo Birds to Understand the Title, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:22:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25153885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkRat/pseuds/TheDarkRat
Summary: The Kingdoms of Slytherin and Gryffindor have been locked in a bloody war for far too long.Only two people remain of the royal Gryffindor line and so the King proposes a peace treaty. A marriage between kingdoms. A magical contract is agreed upon with blood and magic sealing the deal.When is a Princess not a Princess?
Relationships: Female Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Voldemort
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Soot Gremlin and the Bastard Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14887382) by [Batsutousai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai). 



> Hey guys! So wow. The muse bit me for this one and I wrote all twelve pages of outline for this in one go. The writer's hangover is real. 
> 
> I decided to break it up into chapters to help the pacing. Though, as it's kinda fairy-tale-y, it's a lot of "Tell" and less "Show". I'm working on it. 
> 
> If you'd like to volunteer as a Beta or even a collaborate drop me a line. Email's in my profile.

The war had been bloody and brutal. In order to preserve their way of life, the Kingdom of Gryffindor, King Albus put forth a peace treaty. King Marvolo acquiesced but further added a marriage contract. The young Princess Hariel would forsake her claim to the throne and marry King Marvolo’s grandson, third in line to the Slytherin throne, Prince Thomas. 

With no choice, King Albus signed the treaty and contract, dabbing a spot of his blood and the blood of his great-granddaughter on the parchment. Magic witnessed and accepted the contract. 

\------

King Albus of Gryffindor was a proud man. He had wanted to continue the war, fight until the last man. He could not allow the Slytherin family to gain any further ground. But his forces were depleted. His own brother, his son, even his grandson had all perished. His people were starving and on the verge of famine; he stopped the war. His scheming, however, did not stop. 

He bargained for time. Time to send Princess Hariel to a neutral party for fostering. She would be delivered to Slytherin Kingdom by her 17th birthday. King Marvolo, graciously allowed this stipulation. And so, Princess Hariel was seen leaving the Kingdom of Gryffindor at the age of 2, and no one knew if she’d ever return. 

\-----

The House of Black was a grim place. They trained assassins, spies, and poisoners. The Head Mistress Walburga Black was given a small, red-haired, hazel-eyed child. King Albus had a scheme. He would take out his enemies from within. He would have a trained viper to strike at the King of Snakes. 

Mistress Walburga gave the child to one of her better students, Sirius Black. She instructed him to create the best assassin the world had ever seen. The child would be taught everything, magic, blades, poisons. Nothing was to be left out. 

Sirius took his duty to heart. He had been friends with the late Prince James. He would raise the child as his own. Teaching her as he had been taught, and if she survived to graduation - gift her the name Black. Only the best were allowed the surname. The others; were buried. 

\-----

Time moved quickly. The Princess had just passed her 11th birthday. She was to be given her first kill test. She was top in her year, highly thought of by the instructors and her mentor. However, as the day of her test neared, Sirius Black had second thoughts. 

This was a child. This was a child being taught to kill. He remembered his own youth, his own test - and the aftermath. It was not a way of life he’d wish on a child. He could not allow that to happen to his Princess. He took her in his arms one night, brought her out to see the stars. 

“Little Hariel,” he started, unsure where to begin, “look to the sky. What do you see?” 

“I see stars, Sirius. So many stars!” 

“Yes. Can you see the Hunter? Over there?” He pointed. 

“Yes! I can! I can see his belt!” 

“Good girl! Smart girl.” He hugged her tighter. “Can you see the Mother Bear?” 

“Yes! Over there!” The little girl with fiery red hair pointed. 

“Hariel, what would happen if a star were to burn out? If it no longer shined?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Would you be able to find the Bear? Or the Hunter? If one of their stars were gone?” 

“Maybe…” she sounded unsure. 

“Hariel, do you want to succeed in your test tomorrow?” 

“....Of course.” 

“Truthfully, now, my little star. Really?” 

“I don’t want to kill anyone, Siri.” She sounded sad and resigned. “But, if I don’t….” 

“If you had a choice?” 

“No. I don’t want to kill anyone.” 

“Alright, little star. Listen well. See the Bear?” He pointed. “See the brightest star at the point, there?” He felt the little girl nod. “If you face that direction, that is North.” He put the child back down on the ground, kneeling down in front of her. “I want you to look for that star every night and walk towards it.” 

“I don’t understand.” Her voice small. 

“I am giving you the choice. The chance. You don’t want to kill tomorrow. You won’t have to. You take this pack,” he strapped it on her back, “and you run towards that star every night. Only move at night. Hide in the day. Cover your tracks, I know you’re good at that. Run until you find someplace that feels safe.” 

“Siri….are you coming with me?” 

“No, honey. I can’t. I have to make sure it’s safe for you to run.” 

“I’m scared.” She sniffled, tears leaking out of her eyes. 

“It’s alright to be scared, Little Star. Being brave is not about not being scared. It’s about going on despite it.” He hugged her again then he took out his wand, “I need to make it so you can't be found so easily.” He permanently charmed her fiery hair raven’s wing black - and her soft hazel eyes, were now a sharp, bright spellfire jade. She was as different as she could be. “Come on now.” She hugged him fiercely back. 

“Alright now. Go. Don’t look back. Move only at night. Stay hidden during the day. Don’t stop until it feels safe. I love you.” 

Hariel looked at the only father she’d ever known and gave him one last hug. Then she looked to the sky to check the stars. With a small, but purposeful nod she started to lope into the darkness. 

Sirius watched until she was out of sight. Then he went back to their quarters, tore it apart, lit it on fire, and ran in the opposite direction. He would give his Little Star as much time as he could. He would play decoy. And when they caught up with him, he would go out in a blaze of Fiendfyre, a golem of a child held in his arms. He would give Hariel the world if he could; but instead, he would fake her death. He sent a prayer to the gods that she found someplace safe. 

\----

The House of Black sent one of its own to King Albus to inform him of the death of his great-granddaughter and Princess. Regulus Black stood proud as he reported the ill news. For his trouble, he was cursed out of the room. However, once he had picked himself off the ground, the King gave him a letter to return with. 

A solid black owl returned soon after, parchment tied ‘round its leg. There were few words written, but they were positive. There was another girl, only a year younger, with red hair and similar eyes. She was an even better student. King Albus traveled in secret to meet his  _ new _ Princess. 

Ginny was only 10, but she was ruthless and bloodthirsty. She had given to the House of Black as a babe. She had ambitions to be the best and was already on her way. Where Hariel might have had mercy, Ginny had none. Where Hariel might have used a bloodless chokehold, Ginny would garrot. If anything, Ginny was a better candidate for King Albus’s plans. Thus, he sent a royal tutor, to ensure the girl learned proper etiquette for her station. 

His plan was still afloat. He would not fail. 


	2. Chapter 2

Hariel cut her hair short. She found tree hollows and fox dens to bunk in during the day. She followed the North Star. She stayed off the paths and roads when she found them, preferring to cut cross country instead. She let her magic guide her, always traveling north. 

It took her two moon cycles before the itchy feeling between her shoulder blades disappeared. Falling back on her survival skills, learned at the House of Black, she was comfortable foraging and hunting for small game and edible plants. At night, when she was sure it was safe, she practiced magic. Magic was a skill only allowed after the first kill test - only the worthy for the House of Black. But Sirius had taught her how to find her magic within herself. Using that knowledge and force of will, she created balls of light, summoned sticks, and fruit from high branches, she even found water. She found a road and decided it was safe enough to follow to a city or town. 

The road led to a middle-sized city. She learned it was a day or so away from the capital city of the Slytherin Kingdom, Salazar. This seemed safe enough. As she darted out from an alley, however, there was a commotion nearby. A horse, tied to post just outside the alley spooked. Hariel didn’t move fast enough. The hoof struck her face and she flew into the shadows of the building. 

Her magic worked a miracle. The gods smiled on her. The girl woke up. 

But she couldn’t remember her name or who she was. She puzzled through her pack and figured she was a traveller of a sort, but not where she had come from, nor where she had been going. She cleaned the blood off her face, the wound healed, but raw. A nearby puddle showed a crescent going from the middle of her forehead, passing over her nose, and her left cheek. It was a livid red and still puffy. 

She tried to remember her name. Fragmented images of stars, a black dog, a half-remembered word, and red hair flitted through her mind. 

“Riel.” She tried the word out. “My name is Riel.” It would have to serve. 

It did not take long for Riel to stumble upon a place to work. A wealthy merchant’s household was always looking for sculleries. Thus she was employed. And hidden. 

  
  


\------ 

  
  


The Dursleys were a very proper, well-to-do, upcoming merchant family. The patriarch, Vernon had started as only a sailor with small shares and worked his way up. He now proudly owned four sailing ships. He was teaching his eldest son, Dudley the business. They were both large-boned, heavy-set men. And while Vernon Dursley had an excellent head for business, he was extremely small-minded. 

When he saw one of the newer servants with a disfiguring scar, he banished them to the back of the house. Never to be seen by good, honest folks. Dudley, learning from his father’s example, would harry the new scullery, taunting them with “Horseface! Hoof-face!”. 

The wife, Petunia, was the worst of all. She carried around a brass-topped walking stick and if she felt a servant was not doing their due diligence, they felt it sharply. Riel learned quickly to be fast, quiet, and invisible. It worked only some of the time. The Dursleys had exacting views of what was right, good, and proper. 

However, Riel worked diligently. Saving her knuts and sickles. She hadn’t known where she was going, but she knew this was only a stopover. Sometimes, in the evenings, after the household was still and asleep, Riel would look deep inside herself, and a warmth would cover her. Like a parent’s embrace, she felt safe and loved. Even rarer, when she was sure no one was around, Riel would stretch out this warm feeling, and it would lift objects off the ground or make a small candlelight, or fetch something off a high shelf. It was like magic. 

\---- 

It had been two years since Riel started at the Dursley’s household. She had been promoted to assistant cook at that time. But then tragedy struck the merchant family. One of their ships had missed a deadline. It was presumed lost, all goods and souls aboard, with it. 

Petunia thinned the servants, one by one. Firing those that were paid the most, whittling down the workforce. Until there was only Riel. She had been hired on for 1 sickle and 2 knuts per week; she hadn’t understood how little that might have been and no one had told her wiser. Riel’s work now consisted of everything the household needed - cleaning, laundry, cooking, the stable work, gardening. It was a lot of work, with a steep learning curve. 

In the beginning, she was too slow, or not experienced enough to run the entire household, and the family took their frustrations out on her. Vernon used his fists, Petunia, her walking stick, and Dudley liked to kick her when she was down. 

They stole her savings when they found it. Refused to pay her further. They said the work contract she signed meant she had to stay with them until they said otherwise. And as Riel could not remember if she had been able to read, and wasn’t allowed to learn after, had no choice to believe them. The consequences for breaking a contract were very severe in the Slytherin Kingdom. 

Riel put her head down and made due. The work in the stables and garden made her strong, the need to be quick and invisible helped her be like a cat, fleet of foot, and excellent balance. Even the warmth inside of her grew and assisted. Small tasks like sweeping and dusting happened without her lifting a finger, food never burnt or got cold before its time, weeds stayed away from the garden, and mice and other pests stayed out of the home. She knew, intrinsically, that she had to keep this a secret. The Dursleys must never know. 

  
  


\----

Ginny Black had passed through the final test, the crucible of The House of Black, Azkaban. An entire magical manor house, designed to test every skill to the limit, stretch a person’s nerve and daring, and then push them further. Many did not exit. Many were not worthy. But those who exited, who passed, those individuals were granted the Black name as their proof of mastership. 

King Albus watched from the scrying mirror as Ginny successfully made it through Azkaban. Mistress Walburga greeted her student at the end. She held a pair of long, white knives. A present for the graduate. At not-quite 15, Ginny was the youngest Black to hold the name. An accomplishment in and of itself. But Ginny was more than just an assassin. She had been trained to be a princess. She was ready to become Princess Hariel of Gryffindor. She would be spending a year back at the Gryffindor court practicing her role. King Albus was pleased. 


End file.
